I've been in the Lindy Hop scene for about 10 years, teaching locally for 7 and travel regionally to get my fix. I live in a pretty isolated area and with the exception of a couple of my friends, I'm the only Lindy Hopper in this college town. There is certainly not a Lindy scene, but The…
Originally posted Friday, September 3, 2010 (1 year ago)
Rik,
Yanky is probably one of those college computer whizzes who hacked into Yehoodi to send me the PM and then deleted any trace of his existence. You know, the socially awkward kind who join the dance club because it is the only way they'll ever meet women. Why he chose me and not Shana to send his PM to is very curious. He probably was terrified of her and maybe he sensed in me from my posts a mildly sympathetic ear.
Is that all there is, is that all there is?
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
(from Peggy Lee song)
Originally posted Friday, September 3, 2010 (1 year ago)
MadMabley, I hope this thread continues to be an inspiration, but Toon Town Dave really hit on something regarding the presentation of lindy hop as "pop" when it has for all intents and purposes been considered a sort of counterculture type of dance that forced its way into the pop culture (its second run being for roughly 20 minutes during a simple time I refer to as the late-90's).
The best example I've seen of Lindy making it big into "The Swing" scene was when I first started dancing. The scene in Cleveland was at the time (mid-1998) very much about 6 count, basic east coast and sure enough some people liked it that way. Then Val Salstrom ambushed a bunch of people at Spy one night by dancing really fast lindy and wowing the whole crowd. It was all social moves, no arials, no announcement, just one of those surprises that really motivated me to take lindy hop however I could (though for the record a lot of it was by osmosis and workshops). In short, it was "the finished product" mentioned earlier in this thread up close.
That said, I am all for a complete tactical blitz at a public event, where you could promote lessons. And if the hollier-than-thou swingsters have a problem, then I'd make it a point that you're just out to promote lindy hop.
Another, perhaps more subtle and professional way to go about it would be to sponsor a sort of Ken Burns inspired evening (note: this doesn't even have to entail a dance) where, using historical authority as your evidence you can lay out just how swing dancing evolved.
Finally, it's become almost cliche to invoke Frankie Manning and respective films of Whitey's Lindyhoppers as a reference, but it definitely doesn't hurt as a teaser to point people in the right direction. I was in college when I saw those old black and white films for the first time and it really caught my attention. It might do the same for your students.
"I would like to take you seriously, but to do so would affront your intelligence." --William F. Buckley Jr.
Originally posted Friday, September 10, 2010 (1 year ago)
Quote
Finally, it's become almost cliche to invoke Frankie Manning and respective films of Whitey's Lindyhoppers as a reference, but it definitely doesn't hurt as a teaser to point people in the right direction.
It is almost a cliche because Frankie rocked, and those clips are kickass. We are used to seeing them (although I never tire of them, as it is a reminder of how I aspire to dance and feel the music), but new people aren't, and they never fail to impress and inspire.
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
Get Through to The Swing People
I've been in the Lindy Hop scene for about 10 years, teaching locally for 7 and travel regionally to get my fix. I live in a pretty isolated area and with the exception of a couple of my friends, I'm the only Lindy Hopper in this college town. There is certainly not a Lindy scene, but The…
Page(s): < Previous 1 2 ... (34 items total)
That's so awesome that I doubt that it's real.
How is "Yanky McYankerson" not already registered on yehoodi? Where's Cult of Marcus when we need him / her?
Awesome Dance Movies • Teaching Teens to Charleston is Awesome
Rik,
Yanky is probably one of those college computer whizzes who hacked into Yehoodi to send me the PM and then deleted any trace of his existence. You know, the socially awkward kind who join the dance club because it is the only way they'll ever meet women. Why he chose me and not Shana to send his PM to is very curious. He probably was terrified of her and maybe he sensed in me from my posts a mildly sympathetic ear.
Is that all there is, is that all there is? If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing (from Peggy Lee song)
MadMabley, I hope this thread continues to be an inspiration, but Toon Town Dave really hit on something regarding the presentation of lindy hop as "pop" when it has for all intents and purposes been considered a sort of counterculture type of dance that forced its way into the pop culture (its second run being for roughly 20 minutes during a simple time I refer to as the late-90's).
The best example I've seen of Lindy making it big into "The Swing" scene was when I first started dancing. The scene in Cleveland was at the time (mid-1998) very much about 6 count, basic east coast and sure enough some people liked it that way. Then Val Salstrom ambushed a bunch of people at Spy one night by dancing really fast lindy and wowing the whole crowd. It was all social moves, no arials, no announcement, just one of those surprises that really motivated me to take lindy hop however I could (though for the record a lot of it was by osmosis and workshops). In short, it was "the finished product" mentioned earlier in this thread up close.
That said, I am all for a complete tactical blitz at a public event, where you could promote lessons. And if the hollier-than-thou swingsters have a problem, then I'd make it a point that you're just out to promote lindy hop.
Another, perhaps more subtle and professional way to go about it would be to sponsor a sort of Ken Burns inspired evening (note: this doesn't even have to entail a dance) where, using historical authority as your evidence you can lay out just how swing dancing evolved.
Finally, it's become almost cliche to invoke Frankie Manning and respective films of Whitey's Lindyhoppers as a reference, but it definitely doesn't hurt as a teaser to point people in the right direction. I was in college when I saw those old black and white films for the first time and it really caught my attention. It might do the same for your students.
"I would like to take you seriously, but to do so would affront your intelligence." --William F. Buckley Jr.
It is almost a cliche because Frankie rocked, and those clips are kickass. We are used to seeing them (although I never tire of them, as it is a reminder of how I aspire to dance and feel the music), but new people aren't, and they never fail to impress and inspire.
follow my adventures at www.AppalachianToAlpine.blogspot.com!
Page(s): < Previous 1 2 ... (34 items total)
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